Wednesday, May 7, 2008 | I was surprised at the curious spin in David Washburn‘s story about Proposition C. While the story highlights the “strange bedfellows” of Donna Frye and Carl DeMaio, it totally ignores that the “Yes on C” co-chairs are Taxpayers Association President Lani Lutar and Labor Council CEO Lorena Gonzalez.
While glorifying Ms. Frye, the story fails to name any of the five council members who sponsored Prop. C — including Gonzalez’ one-time rival council candidate, Kevin Faulconer. But none of them bring cuddly animal characters to public events, so maybe that is not so important.
It is a shame that this cult of personality angle became the focus of an otherwise thoughtful article. Mr. Washburn’s coverage and the Union-Tribune editorial page (talk about your strange bedfellows!) seem to be the only places where there has been a dispassionate description of the checks and balances in Prop. C.
As was recommended by the SEC monitor, the mayor names the auditor-designate in consultation with an independent Audit Committee; thereafter the Council confirms or denies the appointment; once seated, the auditor reports to a new and independent Audit Committee on which the mayor has no representative; the auditor serves a 10-year term which outlasts the maximum eight-year term of any mayor or council member; and the auditor can only be fired for lawful cause, and upon a majority vote of the Audit Committee, and upon a super-majority confirmation by the Council.
Donna Frye likes to talk about foxes and hen houses; when you strip away the cute rhetoric, I see more horsefeathers than chicken feathers flying in the wake of her argument.